The present invention generally relates to conveyor systems.
Most warehouses and retail spaces only utilize a fraction of their available vertical space due to many factors, including the limited range to access items stored at higher levels. Three dimensional rack systems in the form of Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (often referred to as ASRS or AS/RS) have been proposed that store items on vertical storage racks. However, these vertical systems have several significant commercial drawbacks. As one example, throughput is always a concern for these vertical systems because moving the additional vertical dimension can increase retrieval times. In other words, retrieving items from the racks in a quick and efficient manner has been a constraint in most proposed systems.
Thus, there is a need for improvement in this field.